Clean Water Activists Protest Fracking by Aqua

A group of concerned citizens gathered outside ’s headquarters Wednesday afternoon to draw attention to 32 low-income families facing the threat of being displaced from their homes in the Riverdale Mobile Home Village in Piatt Township. 

Former park owner Richard A. "Skip" Leonard told residents he sold the 37-unit park to Aqua PVR LLC, a subsidiary of Bryn Mawr-based Aqua America, according to the Williamstown Sun-Gazette. Aqua plans to build a water-withdrawal facility there to be used by the natural gas industry for hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Aqua has offered residents $2,500 to relocate—a price deemed far too low by those present at Wednesday’s press conference. 

“Tell arrogant Aqua no fracking evictions,” read pamphlets being handed out to passersby. “Housing is a human right, water is a human right, no evictions for fracking.” 

Aqua PA press secretary Donna Alston said it became clear early on, after Aqua purchased the property at the end of February, that families had not received fair warning from the previous owner that the property would be sold.

In addition to the $2,500, which Aqua is offering to anyone who leaves before June 1 (extended from April 1 and then from May 1), Aqua also hired a realty company to provide relocation services. Aqua also arranged for families to not have to pay leasing fees or water utilities during that time, she added.

About 10 families have left and about 15 others are in the process of moving or considering moving, Alston said, but Aqua currently has all the space it needs for its project.

"Beginning this summer, we're going to build," Alston said. "Right now we don't need anyone else to move. We aren't asking anyone else to leave."

Alston also noted the property where Riverdale Mobile Home Village is located is zoned industrial—not residential.

"Time To Take Action"

Representatives from several groups, including Protecting Our Waters, Clean Water Action and Food & Water Watch, were present at the noon press conference.

“Aqua has a moral deficit, both in terms of treating families badly and in contaminating water,” said Iris Marie Bloom, executive director of Protecting Our Waters. “This is the time to take action—not after [the Riverdale families] are gone.” 

Carol Kennedy said she came out to the Wednesday press conference to point out the economic, emotional and environmental problems associated with fracking, and most recently with the human impact of the eviction of families from the Riverdale Mobile Home Village.

“This is the last straw for me,” Kennedy said. 

Rodney Platt, a self-proclaimed “fractivist” from Brookhaven, also noted the human cost of the situation. 

“The industry has shown they cannot do the right thing,” Platt said. “With Earth Day coming up, it shows how vigilant we all must be to those who profit from environmental interests.”

"Our Reputation Stands On Its Own"

But as far as fracking goes, Alston said it is a natural move for Aqua.

"If this business is going to be handled environmentally correctly, it is better for us to be involved than to stand on the sidelines and let it be handled by others," Alston said. "We’ve been managing water for 125 years."

She said pipeline installation has effectively removed the equivalent of 1,000 truck trips to residential communities.

"The argument about natural gas drilling is really one of policy," Alston said. "But as long as it’s going to take place, as a water company founded on public health, we can do it better and we should be involved. Our reputation stands on its own. We have been good stewards of the environment, and we continue to be."

Editor's Note: Check back later for video of Wednesday's events.